Hi there I really need some help fast!! I have 2 male plakats in a divided 5 gal. I think Kyoshi jumped out through the back where the filter is ( please, trust me I dont know how he did this especially since my tank has a lid!! because when I woke up this morning to feed my babies I found him on my carpet-barley breathing and covered in carpet lint/hair. What I did was immediety grabbed a cup, scooped some of his water up, and put him in there. He barly moved and floated up-side down and sideways for a while barely shaking his fins. I estimate he was out of the water at least half an hour. Now, an hour later, I am here typing this. He is currently upright and getting to the top for air however he is resting at the bottom. One of his pectoral fins is clamped, he is shedding his slime coat, and he is a little pale.

I just moved him to a clean small plastic pet carrier and most of the lint that was stuck to him came off. Im thinking that maybe he saw a bug and tried to case it or something. I dont think he could have jumped through the super-thick secure mesh above my divider and jumped onto Shiro's side. Shiro is a wimp, so much that he used to live with my betta girls in my sorority so he wouldnt have chased Kyoshi out, I would have found Shiro on the floor not Kyoshi. Some of my bettas do that for an ant or nat and they will jump so as a safey measure I put thick layers of mesh over any escape places and between the lid and dividers for my males. I really have no idea how he could have gotten out through the filter, but its the only way he could have gotten out as above the filter there is a small opening. Kyoshi isnt even on that side the filter is on though thats what is weird. I found him on the far left side of the carpet. Shiro's side of the tank is on the left side. Kyoshi was maybe 3 feet left of the tank.Both of my boys sharing his tank are very small dragonscale plakats. When I saw small i mean 1.6 inches for about both of them.

** Also, none of those two boys have any bitemarks, missing scales or fins, or damage.

What can I do to help Kyoshi get better!? Can any meds help him or is it just one of those things he has to do on his own? He does seem to be getting better bit by bit, but I will keep all options and outcomes in my mind. I will do anything to help him, he's my pretty pink betta boy and I love him... T-T

* My tank is 82F, declorinated, and the water was cleaned 2 days ago. I clean the tanks every week.

here is kinda what my tank looks like, except it might be bigger and its slightly different looking than this. Its also not pink, lol. I unfortunately left my $200 camera somewhere on vacation so sadly I cant take a picture-trust me Im bummed. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

Bettas can jump out the smallest of openings, they have extremely good aim.
The steps you've taken are good. That's exactly what I did for a jumper and she survived.
Of course, it depends on how long he was out of the water but if he's already moving, it's a very good sign.
I used aquarium salt in my female when she jumped, kept the water low so she could reach the surface and changed the water daily. Make sure you don't use a net on him or your hand as he needs every little bit of slime coat he's got left.

It might be a good idea to cover the hole in your tank with a craft mesh now that you know you got a jumper.

I hope he recovers! This reminds me of my sister goldfish! Sher took him and put him into a red bowl to change the tank, and when she came back, the orange fish was not in the red bowl, but she didnt notice at first. When she did, she came crying to me to find her fish because she couldnt stand to see it dead. I found it under the bed, wound up with lint, hair, sequins, and other debris. I thought I would be funny (I was about 12) and put it in the red bowl and told her it had been there all along. My mom was furious, and was shouting at me, making me stare at the dead fish while my sister cried and she laid out my punishment. Right about then, though, the fish made a little jerk. I pulled the debris off, and it lived for years after that. If I had not been such a smart-ass, we would have buried it before realizing it was alive. Point is- don't give up. Sometimes they will live through the most remarkable escape attempts!

Oh thank you! I thought he was a gonner. Sadly my husband went to the petstore and picked me up an adorable baby male dragon, thinking kyoshi died! Well now i have 2 quarantine bettas... I have no idea where to put him, lol. I think kyoshi is getting better but he keeps gasping with his mouth open but he is getting to the top. He also wont eat. Im getting slime coat now, thanks all!

My cat knocked over my glass tank while I was at work for 8 hours. when I came home my cat ollie who always greets me at the door was pawing at something under my large dog bed. my fish had managed to have water under that dog bed and keep the cat away.... he had crippled fins and recovered fully after a week and a half... he'll live. he might not look so hot for a bit, just keep him as still as possible.

I hope he recovers! This reminds me of my sister goldfish! Sher took him and put him into a red bowl to change the tank, and when she came back, the orange fish was not in the red bowl, but she didnt notice at first. When she did, she came crying to me to find her fish because she couldnt stand to see it dead. I found it under the bed, wound up with lint, hair, sequins, and other debris. I thought I would be funny (I was about 12) and put it in the red bowl and told her it had been there all along. My mom was furious, and was shouting at me, making me stare at the dead fish while my sister cried and she laid out my punishment. Right about then, though, the fish made a little jerk. I pulled the debris off, and it lived for years after that. If I had not been such a smart-ass, we would have buried it before realizing it was alive. Point is- don't give up. Sometimes they will live through the most remarkable escape attempts!

These guys are pretty tough and as posted they can jump though the smallest hole....I had one jump though a hole smaller than a dime and just last month I had an incident with a cat knocking over a tank with one of my juvies out of the water for over 6 hours and is now spawning today as a matter of fact....He was covered in cat hair and carpet lint but within 24h you would have never known he was out of water for 6 hours-I didn't do anything other than place him in a QT and floated it in another tank-he shed the cat hair within a few hours and eating mosquito larva....newly named "Lucky Hairy".....

Give him time and don't over treat....dim lit quiet location so he can recover-if you have mosquito larva offer a few rinsed....